Car-roof.



P. BATEMAN.

CAR ROOF. APPucAnon man Juv/2e, 1914.

atented Der MC, 12H5.

Urany earn ramena enteren.

PAUL IBATEMAN, 0F WEBSTER GROVES, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOB. TO AMERICAN CAR .AND 4F0`0'I\Tl)1`tY COMPANY, 0F ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A. GORPORATION 0F NEW JERSEY.

CAPV-ROOF.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. let, i915.

Application led 'uly 28, 19M. Serial No. 853,709.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL BATEMaN, residing at Webster Groves, Missouri, and being a citizen of the United States, have -invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gar-Roofs, of which the following lis a full, clear, and exact dcription, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and to use fthe same, reference being had. to the accom anying drawings, which illustrate the pre erred form of the invention, though it is to be unders'tood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and.- described, as it is obvious that various modifications thereof will occur to persons skilled in the art.

In said drawings: Figure 1 is a cross sectional view through one of the upper side edges of a car and discloses the improved flexible connection of the roofy sheet to the top of the superstructure; and F ig. 2 is an external side elevation ofthe parts shown in Fig. l.

The constant inuence of set-up, sustained and frequently reversed stresses, and the ceaseless action of natural forces, inevitably bring about changes in assembled structures, such, for example, as the body of a railway car or a building. y

lt is an object of my present invention tov provide a roof for such structures, vvhich shall be immune from the destructive effects of the yinfluences referred to. l/Vith a view to successfully contending With the most trying conditions, l". have adapted my roof sheet construction to use in a railway car, though it is to be understood that it may be installed in any other structure to which it is applicable.

ln attaining the object specified, sufficient freedom .of movement is accorded the roof sheets at the eaves to avoid a rigidity, which has heretofore usually been present, and which operates, as a result of the Weaving of the car bodv, or the effects of Wind pressure, or both, to cause a straining of said roof sheets. It is not of infrequent occurrence, thatsaid Weaving action of the car body destroys the rectangular relation between the members of the car frame, and results. sometimes in a movement of the roof sheets, at points between the eaves of the car, to an extent greatly in excess of the capacity of the usual rigid connection at the eaves to yield to such movement. The substitution of the type of connection herein def scribed for the rigid connection, nulllifies the otherwise detrimental elfect on said roof sheets.

ln attaining the desired flexible or yielding connection, care has also been taken to produce a structure which Will also exclude the entrance of water, cinders, etc., from the interior of the car, and a cushioned support is provided for the roof sheets at the eaves, so arranged that little or no appreciable wearing will result because cf the relative movement between the sheets and their supports.

Such other advantages as become manifest hereinafter are, of course, to be understood to come within the scope of the present invention.

ln the drawings, but one upper side edge of a car has been shown, it being understood that both sides are alike, and l indicates a superimposed side plate of a car side frame, having side posts 2 upon which said side plate may rest and be attached to. The-side plate may be, as shown, a commercial Z-bar, though many other desirable forms may be employed in lieu thereof, and, in the present instance, the side posts 2 are also Z-bars, permitting the sheathing 3 to be placed linside of the car framing, if desired, and to be overhung by the inwardly extending top flange of said side plate Z-bar.

Seated upon the side plate 1, and preferably conforming to the upper and outer surfaces of the bottom ilange and Web, respectively, of said side plate Z-bar, and having a compoundly bent-top flange, is a Weather strip 4, which may be of sheet metal.'

The top flange of the weather strip l is shown as continuing, from the upper part of the vertical Web -paralleling portion of said strip, in a convex roll 5 extending above the top flange of the side plate Z-bar, being later deflected and curved to form a concave-groove (i, serving as a channel or gutter for any Water that enters the space between said strip and the roof sheet. That Water draining into said channel for any reason,

as during a rain storm, or from a melting of snow or ice, may not form a permanent accumulation, the bottom of said channel or glitter is perforated at suitable points to provide drain holes 7 through which the Water may pass off substantially as rapidly as it enters the channel.

Roof sheets 8 extend either approximately half way or entirely across the car, as desired, and, passing over and being spaced from the top .of the side plate at either or both sides of said car, tangentially engage the convex roll of the top flange of the weather strip Ll, being thus provided with a cushioned support at the eaves and projecte ing, by preference, outwardly beyond said flange. The free edge 6 of said weather strip top flange, which ,is also the `outer edge of channel or gutter G, ,is terminated slightly below the under side of the roof sheet.

At suitably spaced distances, retaining clips or members 9 are mounted upon the bottom flange of the weather strip l, each clip comprising a lower leg that contacts with said weather strip bottom flange, an outwardly disposed vertical portion in substantially the same vertical plane as the exterior surfaces of the'side posts 2, and an upper inwardly extending leg or flange 10, parallel with and overlapping the outer portion o'f the roof sheet, said inwardly extending flange 10 being preferably disposed above the roof sheet and the weather strip so,as to bind the oiiter portion of the roof sheet between th weather strip and flange 10.

The lower flanges of the weather' strip 4 and of the clips 9 are secured as by rivets 11,'to the bottom outstanding flange of the Z-bar constituting the sideplate, and the upper portions of both said strip and clips .are free and adapted to exert a yielding pressure on opposite sides of the roof sheet arranged between them.

In consequence of the hereinbefore men-v tioned spacing of the outer free edge 6 of the weather strip top flange from the under side of the roof sheet, a single line of contact is obtained between flanges l0 on clips 9, roofsheet-s 8' and the weather strip l, whereby the smoothness of the relative movement between these parts is promoted.

From the foregoing it is apparent that I have provided a roof construction, in which the roof sheets yare yieldingly held at the eaves, and in such interleaved relation that they are permitted sliding movement between the weather strips and clips, which press against them on opposite sides, which movement is free except for the friction at the line of contact. It is also ev1dent that moisture and foreign particles in the air are excluded from entry into the car from the under side of the roof, that rain and bend forming a gutter and being provided with drain holes, a relatively slidable roof sheet resting at the eaves only on said seat and extending beyond saidtop flange, a flexible retaining clip having a lower flange lapping the bottom flange of said strip and being secured therewith to the bottom flange of said side plate, said clip having an outwardly facing vertical portion and an upper inwardly directed extension lapping and having frictional engagement with the roof sheet at the eaves. I

2. In a car roof, a side plate, a flexible strip secured to and supported by said side plate, the upper portion of said flexible strip being formed in such manner that a cross section thereof is an ogee curve, in combination with a straight roof sheet 'supported on the curved portion of said flexible strip, and a retaining member extending over said roof sheet and over said flexible strip to retain said roof sheet in position.

3. In a car roof, a side plate, a flexible metallic weather strip secured to and extending parallel with said side plate, the

upper portion of said weather strip extend-l ing away from said side plate to constitute a flexible portion, inv combination with a straight edged roof sheet supported upon the flexible portion of said weather strip, and a retaining member extending above said roof sheet and over said weather strip to retain said straight edged roof sheet sedevice extending over the edge of said roof sheet and over said weather strip to retain said roof sheet securely in position on said weather strip.

5. In a car roof in combination, a side plate, a flexible weather strip secured toone portion of said side plate and supported by vanother portion of said side plate, said weather strip having its upper edge curved 1n such manner that a cross section thereof Ais substantially an ogee crve, straight roof sheet in position upon vsaid weather 10 edged roof sheet being supported upon the strip.

inclinal portion of :said ogee curve, the syn- In witness whereof I have hereunto set my clinal portion of said ogee curve being also hand in the presence of two Witnesses. 5 beneath said roof sheet and comprising a PAUL BATEMAN water directing member and having drip openings provided therein, and a retaining Witnesses:

clip having leg extending over said OSCAR Hoorrnne, 'straight edged roof sheet to anchor `said RODNEY BEDELn. 

